Board Fighting Diamond Resorts over Possible Takeover of Resort

Longtime deeded week owners at Tahoe Beach and Ski Club are caught up in a winner-take-all legal and election battle with Diamond Resorts, which has bought up 25% of the legacy resort's delinquent intervals and is now running a senior VP, Frank Goeckel, for one of two seats up for election at the board's HOA meeting Sept. 26. If Goeckel wins, it will be at the expense of either President Alfred Fong or Treasurer Jake Bercu, both of whom are opposed to Goeckel personally and vehemently opposed to Diamond's bid to wrest control of the board from owners who don't want Diamond to run the resort. If Goeckel wins, many original owners fear their proudly independent resort will fall under Diamond's control and management style. If you are familiar with any of this , please tell RedWeek what you think about it. Oh, and one last thing: Diamond is also suing the board members, for damages, for refusing to recognize Diamond's purchase of 241.5 Vacation Plans last December. The judge in the case has already ruled that the purchase probably was not authorized, but it may all become moot Sept. 26 if Goeckel or a presumed sympathizer, Cathy Ryan, knock off Fong or Bercu on Sept. 26.

Tahoe Beach and Ski owners rejected Diamond's bid to place a corporate vice president on the board at the resort's annual HOA meeting Sept. 26. Diamond executive Frank Goeckel, who endured a long afternoon of hostile back-and-forth with some of the owners who packed the beachtent at TBSC during a candidate's forum, collected 1719 votes, but he needed another 500 to unseat Board President Al Fong, who is a passionate advocate for original deeded week owners and highly suspicious of Diamond's block purchases of timeshares at the resort. Diamond already owns 25 percent of all timeshares at the resort, and seems to be intent on not only acquiring more, but gaining influence over the board. That was what Goeckel's election bid was all about --- giving Diamond a foothold, and possibly a stranglehood, --- on a board that is now split 3-2 against Diamond. Here are the vote totals: Treasurer Jake Bercu, rerelected with 2217 votes President Al Fong reelected with 2207.5 votes Frank Goeckel, challenger, defeated with 1719 votes (including 1619 that Diamond controls through its ownership) Cathy Ryan, former board member, defeated with 1624.5 votes (including 1619 from Diamond)

Two board members who seem to support Diamond's involvement at the resort, Shannon Krutz and Steve Williams, will be up for reelection in September 2016. In the aftermath of last week's vote, owner advocates at the resort are already talking about making moves to recall Krutz and run another candidate against Williams. It is also possible that Goeckel will run again, since he has promised, repeatedly, that Diamond is committed to the resort and, in his words, "is here to stay."